Take-up for flatiron conductors



HA'YSS W. C. OBRIEN TAKE-UP FOR FLATIRON CONDUCTORS Filed May 24, 1920 :gia

Wrmimm man Patented @et 9, ll923.

lll itl llll E.

starselAIMSB WILLIAM o@ ofBRInN, or `Bamm/icas, MARYLAND.

TAKE-UP FOR- FLATRON CONDUCTORS.

Application filed May 24,

To (1f/,Z whom it may concern Bc it known that l, lVrLLrAM C, OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State oli li/laryland, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Take-Ups for Flatiron (fonduc'tors, oi'` which the A1rollowing is a specification.

Electrically heated ilat irons are usually each provided with a short length ot lexible conducting cord equipped with fittings at its ends, one lor attachment to the iron and the other lor attachment tothe electric fixture connected to a current source. As the operator moves the iron forward on the ironing board, the cord drags atte-r the iron without interfering with the work; but upon the backward stroke o't the iron the cord slackens and doubles up on the board behind the iron and hinders the work ot the operator.

ln order to overcome these diliiculties, l have provided means whereby as the iron is used the slack in the electric cord is taken up at all times. 'lhis takeup device co1nprises a tree-running spring reel mounted upon a suitable base, which latter is provid ed with means for clamping it to a tiexible conductor and also with guiding' means for a cord, which latter is connected at one end to the reel and is provided at .its other end with means whereby it may be attached to the conductor at a point between the reel and the iron. lith this arrangement, the slack in the conductor is constantly taken up and held off of the ironing board.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates my invention,

Fig. 1 is a view showinga flat iron connected to an electric. lixture, with the takeup device applied to the connecting conductor, the operation ot the device being illustrated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view ot the takeup device;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the saine, partly in section;

Fig. 4c is a central section through the reel, showing also the plate which supports the reel spindle and cord guide; and,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view ol" the take-up device.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, A indicates a lat iron, B indicates an electric lixture, such as a lamp socket, connected to a suitable current source, and C indicates a flexible electric conductor such as is usually supplied 'for 'l'lat irons, having suitable plugs 1920. Serial No. 383,953.

or attachments at its ends ffor connecting with the fiat iron and the iixture. The take-4 secured to one side of this base by screws 3 and 4 is a sheet metal plate 5, having a' part 5a which projects laterally from the base and extends at right angles thereto. Upon this part 5a is mounted a flaring cord guide 6, hereinafter referred to. A spindle T is secured to the plate 5 and projects outwardly from the central portion of the base, and upon this spindle is mounted a reel 8, the latter being made of wood or other lioht material and adapted to turn freely on the spindle. The reel has in one side a circular depression 8, in which is arranged a dat spiral spring `9, the latter having one end attached to the reel by a screw 10 and having its other end fitting within a slot T in the spindle. A cupshaped cover 11 lits on to the base and encloses the reel, and this cover is held in place by a nut 12, on the outer end of the spindle 7. The cord 1 has one end attached to the reel, and its opposite end extends through an opening inthe side of the cover and thence through the funnel-shaped cord guide 6, which. latter guides the cord in a line tangential to the reel and substantially parallel with a groove g, which is cut in the back of the base and extends diametrically across the latter. A clamping plate 13 is pivotally mounted upon the screw 4t, at the back of the base, and is provided with a notch 13a for engaging the screw 3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thumb nuts 14 are provided upon the screws 3 and 4 for pressing the clamping plate against the electric conductor C. rlhe cord 1 is provided at one end with suitable means for securing it to the electric conductor, such as the tape la.

In the practical use of the invention, the take-up device is secured to an electric conductor, as shown in Fig. 1, by arranging the conductor in the groove g and tightening the clamping plate 13 against the conductor. The cord 1 is then drawn out against the action of the spring, and it is tied to the a loop c, as shown in dottedlines in 1,

when the iron is at its nearest point 'to' the fixture B. It will be evidentthat as the iron is moved from the dotted line poysiti'om in Fig. l, to the full line position,

the cord will be pulled out of vthe reel and the loop inthe conductor Will straighten, 'and ais .the iron is .moved backward the tensionof the spring in the reel .Will cause y the slack in the conductor to be taken 'up vin the vform of a loop which is out of contaotvvith the ironing .board and out of the Way ofthe operator. 'If the iron is moved further back than the dotted line position .shown in Fig. `1, of course, the loop will also straighten out. i In order that the device may Work smoothly, the `groove rWhiohthe flexible Condu'ctorjits is)v arranged centrally of the base, andthe-guide for the cord is arranged so thaft the cord Willb'e directed `parallel VWithvsaid groove and With the conductor and "equally applicable to gas heated irons, Wherein the gas for heating the irons is conducted from a gas outlet or fixture to the iron through a fiexible tube or conductor.

Vhat I claim is: l A

'A take-upA device for flexible yconductors comprising `a circular vbase having a diametrical groove .on one side and a spindle projecting oentrallyfrom its opposite side, means on thebase for clamping the conductor in said groove, a. free-running spring reel on ysaid spindle, a cord onr the reel, a cord guide Secured to the base and adapted to guide the cord, in a line tangential tothe reel and, substantially parallel with said groove, and a Casing enclosing the reel.y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM C. OBRIEN. 

